Ludhiana: Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has issued around 450 notices in Ludhiana district in one month (from May 1 to 31) to the violators under the Water Act 1974, Air Act 1984 and the Punjab Plastic Act 2016. Around 15 units were closed by the department after issuing the notices from different areas of the city. According to the officials of Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), they are continuously keeping a check on the violators and regular drives are being carried out at different dying units and in other industrial areas.

The units which were closed and issued notices were situated at different areas including Industrial Area A, Focal Point, Sunder Nagar, Dashmesh Nagar, Khanna and Industrial Area C among others. Many of the factories of plastic bags and dying units are causing violations against the act but no action is being taken against some of the factories. According to sources, many of the plastic manufacturing units are running at different areas but pollution control board is issuing challans to some of the units. Gulshan Rai, Chief Environment Engineer of the PPCB said, “We are regularly issuing the notices to the factories and units which are doing violations of different acts.

As we are now taking strict action against the violators as more than 15 units have been sealed by the department in past one month. We will continue our drives and checkings in future also as many of the notices were send and required action has been taken against them in coming days.” As many people claimed to have observed green Diwali every year but the figures of PPCB Ludhiana showed a rise in air and noise pollution levels. Air and noise pollution is increasing day by day.

Harkamal Singh, a resident of Gill road said, “Many of the factories are running in the residential area and causing a lot of air pollution and noise pollution which is part of sheer violation but no action is being taken against the violators. Department should seal factories which are becoming the part of pollution level.” SP Garg, superintending engineer of PPCB department said, “We have issued notices to several factories which are causing violations under different acts and I am doing continuous drive against the factories with the motive to remove all the violations.”